Trunk



(No Model.)

P. GIRAUD.

TRUNK.

No. 560,062. Patented May 1 2, 1896.

AN DREW E GRAHAM. FNUTO-UTHQWASHINFIUMRC.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PAUL GIRAUD, OF DALLAS, TEXAS TRUNK.

SPECIFICATION forming part Of Letters Patent NO. 560,062, dated May 12, 1896. Application filed January 20, 1896. Serial Nx 576,147. (N model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

lle it known that 1, PAUL GIRAUD, of the city of Dallas, Dallas county, State of Texas, have invented certain new and useful Improvem ents in Trunks, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part hereof.

My invention relates to an improved trunk; and it consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts hereinafter described and claimed.

In the drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view of my improved trunk, the lid thereof being partially opened. Fig. 2 is a sectional view of a trunk analogous to Fig. 1, showing the lid of said trunk thrown farther open than is seen in the previous view and the trays of the trunk partially raised. Fig. 3 is a sectional view of my improved trunk as it appears when completely opened. Fig. 4 is a detail sectional view of a catch of which I make use in carrying out my invention.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawings, 1 indicates the body of the trunk, the same being of the usual form and construction, and to the upper edge of the rear wall of which is hinged an ordinary lid 2, said lid being provided with one or a series of compartments in which articles may be stored. Arranged to fit within the body of the trunk is a tray 3, the same normally filling the lower half of the trunk-body 1 and arranged to fit within the body 1. In the space above said tray 3 are trays 4 and 5, the same being of uniform size and construction. lVhen these trays are positioned one on top of the other within the body 1 of the trunk, the top of the tray 5 lies flush with the top edges of said body 1.

Formed on or fixed to the center of the bottom of the tray 4 is a downwardly-pending lug or projection (3, said lug 6 being for the purpose of engaging a transversely-extending wire 7, the ends of which engage the ends of spring-actuated bolts 8, that pass through the centers of opposite side walls of the lower trav 3.

Formed in the top edges of the side walls of the body 1 of the trunk adjacent their top edges are recesses 9, in which the free ends of these bolts 8 engage when the tray 3 is in an elevated position. Hinged to the inner faces of the end walls of the lid 2 of the trunk adjacent the rear wall of said lid are the rear ends of arms 10, to the outer ends of which are pivoted the upper ends of connecting-levers 11. Hinged to the inner faces of the end walls of the lid 2 at points in front of the centers thereof are the upper ends of hinge-bars 12, the lower ends of which are pivoted to the arms 10 adjacent their outer ends, said hingebars being provided with hingejoints 13, which permit said bars to break or swing in one direction only.

Bent levers or bell-cranks 14 are f ulcrumed to the outside faces of the end walls of the tray 3 at points adjacent the top edges of said end walls and in the centers thereof, and to the ends of the shorter arms of said bent levers or bell-cranks are pivoted the lower ends of the connecting-levers 11. The longer arms of said bent levers extend upwardly and are hinged to the outside faces of the end walls of the tray 4 adjacent the rear ends of said end walls. Fulcrumed to the centers of the outside faces of the end walls of the tray 4 are bars 15, the lower ends of which are hinged to the outside faces of the end walls of the tray 3 at points adjacent the top edges and front ends thereof, the upper ends of said bars 15 being hinged to the outside faces of the end walls of the tray 5 adjacent the rear ends of said endwalls.

16 indicates bars having their lower for ward ends hinged to the outside faces of the end walls of the tray 4 adjacent the forward ends of said end walls, the upper ends of said bars 16 being hinged to the outside faces of the end walls of the tray 5 at the centers of said end walls.

The operation is as follows: hen the trunk is closed, the various bars and levers are folded within slight spaces formed between the ends of the trays 3 4 5 and the ends of the trunk-body 1. With the first movement of opening the trunk the operator swings the lid into a vertical position and manually engages the hinge-bars 12, drawing the same upwardly until the mating parts thereof are in. alinement with one another. The lid 2 is now swung downwardly, which movement will necessarily raise the outer end of the arms 10, and the same being hinged to the upper ends of the connecting-links 11, and they in turn being connected to the bent levers 1%, which are carried by the lower tray 3, said tray, together with the trays 4 and 5, will be elevated and carried to the position shown in Fig. 2. When the top edge of the tray 3 reaches a position where it is flush with the top edges of the body 1 of the trunk, the outer ends of the bolts 8 will engage in the recesses 9, and said tray 3 will thus be locked in an elevated position. As the lid 2 is swung downwardlyinto a horizontal plane the bent levers or bell-cranks 14 will be swung upon their f ulcrum-points, which movement causes the trays at and 5 to be elevated and at the same time swing outwardly into the positions shown in Fig. 3, this being due to the arrangement of the bars 15 and 16. The trunk is now in an open position and the goods therein can be displayed to an advantage, or said trunk can be readily packed or unpacked.

\Vhen the trunk is closed, the operator engages the lid and raises the same into a vertical position. This movement causes the trays at and 5 to swing upwardly, inwardly, and then downwardly onto the tray 3, and as the tray 4 passes onto the tray 3 the lug 6, carried by said tray 4, will engage against the wire 7 and move the same downwardly a slight distance, which movement will cause the outer ends of the bolts 8 to disengage from the recesses 9, which will allow the tray 3 to lower to its normal or closed position.

\Vhen thelid of the trunk has been brought to a vertical position, the hinge bars are broken or thrown out of alinement, and said lid may now be entirely closed or swung downwardly onto the body 1 of the trunk.

A trunk of my improved construction is especially applicable for traveling salesmen or persons having goods they wish to displaywithout removing said goods from the trunk and trays. Such a trunk possesses superior advantages in point of simplicity, durability, and general efficiency, and is practically automatic in all its operations, inasmuch as all of the arms are dependent upon the opening and closing of the lid.

I claim- 1. A trunk constructed with the usual rectangular body, a lid hinged to said body, a tray normally occupying approximately onehalf of the body, a plurality of trays arranged to occupy the remaining space within the trunk-body, a series of levers connecting the trays, and a second series of levers connecting the first-mentioned series of levers with the trunk-lid, which levers form means for raising the trays from the trunk-body and swinging certain of said trays outwardly when the lid is opened.

2. A trunk constructed with the usual rectangular body, a lid hinged to said body, a tray normally occupying approximately 011ehalf of the body, a plurality of trays arranged to occupy the remaining space within the trunk-body, a series of levers hinged and pivoted upon the ends of the trays, a series of levers connecting one of said first-mentioned series of levers with the lid of the trunk, means for automatically locking the lowermost tray when the same has been raised to the top of the trunk-body, and a lug carried by the under side of the tray next adjacent the lowermost tray for automatically relcasing the locking mechanism.

3. A trunk constructed with the usual rectangular body, a lid hinged to said body, a series of trays normally occupying the body of the trunk, bars 15 and 16 hinged upon the ends of said trays, bent levers 14c fulcrumed upon the ends of the lowermost tray, arms 10 hinged to the trunk-lid, levers l1 connecting the outer ends of said arms with the short arms of the bent levers, and hinge-bars 12 connecting the arms 10 with the trunk-lid.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

PAUL GIRAUD. \Vitnesses:

J. HENRY CRAvEN, .Tnssn FRIcK. 

